Birkhall, the Queen Mother's Favorite Retreat

Birkhall, the British Royal Family's retreat in Scotland. Image: Geograph

About eight miles from Balmoral, beside the
River Muick stands Birkhall,
a favorite royal residence of several generations of the Royal Family. Built in
the early 18th century by the owners of the nearby Abergeldie
estate, Birkhall was acquired by Prince Albert together with the Balmoral
estate in 1849, and was given to his eldest son, Edward Albert, Prince of
Wales. However, the heir to the throne preferred staying at the more expansive Abergeldie
Castle. In 1884, Queen Victoria
bought the property from the Prince of Wales and lent it to her staff and
extended family. Dighton Probyn, Keeper of the Privy Purse and Queen
Alexandra’s comptroller, occupied the property in the late 19th century.

During the reign of King George V, Birkhall
was lent to the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth), which they used as a holiday home, together with their children,
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The Yorks refurbished the home and planned
the beautiful sloping garden. The family was delighted to spend time here. While
it has lower height compared to the nearby Balmoral Castle, Birkhall imbues warmer
air, and is a plain, relatively small Queen Anne house.

The Yorks were in Birkhall when the Abdication
crisis gained momentum; Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson were then partying at Balmoral.
The Yorks eventually ascended the throne in 1936 as King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth. While the King and Queen occupied Balmoral, Princess Elizabeth, her
husband Prince Philip, and their children spent their summers at Birkhall.

After the death of King George VI and the
succession of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1952, Queen Elizabeth the Queen
Mother, preferred Birkhall as a Scottish country home. Here she would spend autumns
after staying at Castle
of Mey, surrounding by her family and friends. Whenever she was in
Scotland, she took advantage of the opportunities nearby for one of her
favorite hobbies-- salmon fishing. She enjoyed the informality of Birkhall and
would often dress in tartans or Scottish tweeds.

When the Queen Mother died in 2002, Birkhall was
inherited by Charles, Prince of Wales. In 2005, he married Camilla Parker-Bowles
and they spent their honeymoon here in 2005. In 2011, Prince William, Duke of
Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, spent New Year's Eve here.